


the world turned upside down (how lucky we are to be alive right now)

by betamax524



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: Apocalypse
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Post-Canon, Protective Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 16:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7179080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betamax524/pseuds/betamax524
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>"She's still so young," Erik says in hushed tones, watching the red-headed girl sleeping out of the corner of his eye. Charles sighs in agreement, holding onto Erik's hand on his chest, and Erik nods. He knows Charles is still weak, he's not going to force conversation with him, so he just holds him gently and tries to soothe him through their mental link.</em>
</p><p><em>Asleep, the girl looks so young, so much unlike the woman who walked on air, engulfed in flames with the knowledge of a hundred years in her eyes. When her mind touched his for a brief moment, he felt flames licking at the edges of his mind, so much power for one child to hold.</em><br/>--<br/>After Cairo, Jean slowly tries to adjust to her new powers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the world turned upside down (how lucky we are to be alive right now)

**Author's Note:**

> translation notes:  
> hertzeleh - yiddish; little heart  
> słoneczko - polish; sunshine  
> Sonnenblümchen - german; sunflower  
> \--  
> title is from the hamilton musical. i'm on tumblr as swaggneto and twitter as swagneto_ebooks, talk to me! :~)

Somehow, after everything, after feeling like her whole soul has been set alight, after being faced with the end of the world itself, Jean manages to stumble into the jet they stole and buckle down, head resting against the wall.

Everything is too loud, everyone's thoughts jostling against each other. She groans, massaging her temples in a vain attempt to calm the pounding in her head. She can feel apprehension, tension, anxiety and worry swirling through her mind, making a strange taste rise up in her mouth.

Trying to build up her shields is challenging when she feels tired down to her bones, to her very soul. Somewhere between Hank pressing a hand to her forehead and resting her head against Scott's shoulder, she senses a bright spot, a mind softly buzzing underneath all the thoughts jumbled together. Instinctively, she seeks it out, chasing the cool silence, wondering who it could be. She still feels the Professor's mind in the distance, so it can't be him, and recklessly, she presses against it in an attempt to find answers.

Sitting across from her, the man she knows as Magneto looks up from a hushed conversation with the Professor, and looks her straight in the eye. He raises one eyebrow, and she feels her face flush in embarrassment. _I'm sorry_ , she stutters, but before she can explain, the cool metal shields of Magneto's mind start gently shifting.

He's turned back to the Professor now, but Jean can feel a delicate shield slowly building around her mind, an intricate latticework that muffles everyone's thoughts, like overhearing the radio two rooms over. It's not a full shield, so she doesn't feel like she's outside her own skin, which makes her wonder if Magneto's had any experience with that. Before she can gather the strength to ask though, she finds herself slowly slipping into a calm sleep with the vague sensation of being tucked into a warm bed.

* * *

 

_"She's still so young," Erik says in hushed tones, watching the red-headed girl sleeping out of the corner of his eye. Charles sighs in agreement, holding onto Erik's hand on his chest, and Erik nods. He knows Charles is still weak, he's not going to force conversation with him, so he just holds him gently and tries to soothe him through their mental link._

_Asleep, the girl looks so young, so much unlike the woman who walked on air, engulfed in flames with the knowledge of a hundred years in her eyes. When her mind touched his for a brief moment, he felt flames licking at the edges of his mind, so much power for one child to hold._

_For a moment he remembers holding Nina in his arms, watching her fall asleep and promising her the world, and instead of a raging bitterness, he feels a sentimental ache in his chest. The resemblance is uncanny, the freckles scattered across their faces, the eyelashes fanned out against their cheeks._

_It's then Erik comes to a decision. What he wanted for Nina, what he wasn't able to give her, he'll give to this red-headed girl and all the other children in Charles' school._

* * *

 

The next few days seem to pass by in a blur for Jean, all the work being done to rebuild the mansion keeping her distracted. Magneto had introduced himself as Erik, and with a lopsided smile and steely determination, somehow managed to weave himself tightly into the framework of all the minds at the mansion.

But the fear is still there. The fire inside her heart seems to be growing stronger by the day, and she dreams of it swallowing her whole, turning her into a being far beyond her own comprehension. She knows she should talk to the Professor about this, but the thought of it doesn't sit right with her, and she finds herself awake before the sunrise, making her way to the kitchen. Erik is there, his mind a vague, relaxing buzz as he moves around preparing food for all the mouths in the mansion. Jean watches quietly for a few minutes, the knives and ladles seemingly dancing in the air, pots and pans effortlessly floating around as the smell of hot soup fills the air.

"It's a little early, _hertzeleh_ ," Erik says gently, using his powers to pull aside a chair for Jean to sit down. "Do you want some hot chocolate?"

"That would be nice," she says, watching Erik move more than just metal around the kitchen. He's scooping six intimidating tablespoons of coffee into the brewer as the box of hot chocolate mix floats down and slides across the counter towards him. "I- _uh_ -I like mine with a lot of milk," she says, and Erik nods, the fridge across the room opening, a carton of milk sailing to his outstretched hand.

The smell of coffee being brewed is intoxicating, mingling with the sweetness of the hot chocolate. After a few moments, Erik walks to the table, carrying a steaming mug in each hand. "Is there anything bothering you?" he asks as he gently sets a down a deep green mug in front of Jean before settling back into his own chair. "Usually you would still be asleep right now. Is your shield doing alright?"

"It's working great," Jean says, with a tilt of her head. The shield Erik made that day in Cairo is strong, yet surprisingly flexible, yielding to her mental touch, making adjustments easier for her. The workmanship speaks volumes about the experience he must have had with shielding telepaths, but that would probably be a story for another time. She inhales the aroma of her drink, cupping the mug with her hands and feeling the warmth seep in. She's not entirely sure how to phrase the hundreds of thoughts running through her head, so she starts with the simplest one. "I'm... _scared_. Of myself, I mean," she says, "I could kill everyone in this house in a moment. And I thought reading everyone's minds was scary."

Erik hums in acknowledgement, and for a little while, they sit in comfortable silence. Jean sips slowly at her drink, smiling to herself when she realizes Erik's sprinkled in some cinnamon as a special treat.

"But you haven't." Erik says casually, setting his mug down on the table, "You haven't killed anyone, I mean."

"But, back at Cairo--"

"Jean," Erik says, looking straight into her eyes. "En Sabah Nur was a dangerous... being who was threatening the whole world and held millions of lives in danger. It's not pretty, but you did the right thing." He breathes in deeply before he continues, "The fact that you're so worried about hurting others means so much. You're a loving, caring person Jean. I have trust in you."

"Still... I keep thinking about it. What if something inside me wants this?" Jean replies, chewing on her lower lip and looking down into her mug.

"Then that means you acknowledge what you can do, that you're aware of your potential. But you're not using your powers to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it, and that's what I think is important." Erik says gently. "I would know." There's a different edge to Erik's words, and Jean gets the vague impression of regret of guilt. Instinctively, she leans forward, sending appreciation and gratitude towards him.

"You're doing good here too," she says in reply to a question hanging in the space between their minds. "Thank you so much, really."

The sun is slowly rising, saturated colors slowly dripping into the kitchen, casting a warm glow over everything. "You're too kind, _słoneczko_ ," Erik says lovingly, reaching over to brush hair away from her forehead. He leans forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead and patting her head before walking to the window by the sink. "It's a beautiful sunrise, hm, _Sonnenblümchen_? Do you want to go for a walk?"

"That would be very nice," Jean says, smiling softly. The two of them walk together out the door and pass through the grounds of the mansion. Erik points out herbs and flowers he's planted, crouching down and speaking about them in soft, almost solemn tones. Jean listens intently, watching the sunlight play across the sharp planes of Erik's face, softening them in the process.

Jean knows there's still so much so ahead of her, so much she has to work through, but in this moment, she lets her mind wander, taking the sights of the flora in full bloom lit by the rising sun. When they get back to the mansion, people are slowly filling up the dining room, scratching at their eyes and yawning, so Jean helps Erik set out the food and the dishes, exchanging small smiles when they can.

There's still a flame burning inside her, deep down, but now, instead of threatening to consume her whole, it's slowly starting to flicker contentedly, like a fire at a hearth, spreading a gentle warmth through her body and mind.


End file.
